Justin Bieber made a bold claim about the connection of healthy food intake to anxiety and depression. However, he got called out by a doctor and some of his fans for it. Bieber stood by his claim at first but, later on, edited his post.
The "Yummy" singer shared a message last week that read, "The right healthy food is actually medicine." In his caption, Bieber implied that feeling anxious or depressed has "a lot to do" with diet.
He, then, urged his 145 million followers on Instagram to change their diet. Justin said healthy food helped him deal with his anxiety and depression.
It immediately garnered attention but many of his fans blasted the singer for making such misleading information. One fan noted that depression wouldn't be cured by just eating apples. Another said those who don't have a background in medicine, like Bieber, should refrain from giving medical advice.
Justin's post also caught the attention of U.K.-based surgeon Joshua Wolrich. The doctor acknowledged that the Canadian singer's intention behind his post is to help his followers but he called him out for spreading information that could potentially harm his fans.
He said it is dangerous to suggest that foods are equal to medicine. Wolrich said, while food provides nutrition and energy to the body, it has its limitations.
He stressed anxiety and depression are not the results of bad food intake. The doctor added many who choose alternative treatments to cure their illness are more likely to die as opposed to those who opted to take standard medicine or treatment.
Justin Bieber didn't like what the doctor said about his post. He posted a screenshot of Wolrich's comment on his Instagram Stories and told the doctor to back off.
Even though Beliebers started to troll him, Wolrich posted a video of himself in response to Justin's comment and explained his position on the matter. He stressed that food and medicine have different uses and advantages. He urged Bieber to find better ways to express how important food is but don't claim that is the cure to a mental health problem.
Reports have it that Wolrich also spoke with Justin privately. The "Intentions" singer did not apologize for his misleading post but edited his original caption.
He added the words "can often" to his original message that directly claiming food is the cure for mental health issues. Wolrich noted that, though it's a very subtle change from Justin Bieber's Instagram post, it is better than nothing at all.
